The poetical works of Sir Walter Scott ... Notes & life of the author.

540 THE BIRE-BEING.
And you haply may sigh, in the midst of your glee
At the tale of Count Albert. and fair Rosalie.
0 see you that castle, so strong and so high?
And see you that lady, the tear in her eye?
And see you that palmer, from Palestine's land,
The shell on his hat, and the staff in his hand?" Now palmer, grey palmer, 0 tell unto me,
What news bring you home from the Holy Countrie?
And how goes the warfare by Galilee's strand?
And how fare our nobles, the flow'r of the land?
" O well goes the warfare by Galilee's wave,
For Gilead, and Nablous, and Ramah we have;
And well fare our nobles by Mount Lebanon,
For the Heathen have lost, and the Christians have.
won."A fair chain of gold'mid her ringlets there hung:
O'er the palmer's grey locks the fair chain has she flung:
1 "0 palmer, grey palmer, this chain be thy fee
For the news thou hast brought from the Holy Countrie.
"0 palmer, good palmer, by Galilee's wave,
O saw ye Count Albert, the gentle and brave?
When the Crescent went back, and the Red-cros
rush'd on,
O saw ye him foremost on Mount Lebanon?" —
"0 lady, fair lady, the tree green it grows;
O lady, fair lady, the stream pure it flows;
Your castle stands strong, and your hopes soar on high
But lady, fair lady, all blossoms to die.
"The green boughs they wither, the thunderbolt falls,
It leaves of your castle but levin-scorched walls
The pure stream runs muddy; the gay hope is gone;
Count Albert is pris'ner on Mount Lebanon."O she's ta'en a horse, should be fleet at her speed;
And she's ta'en a sword, should be sharp at her need;
And she has ta'en shipping for Palestine's land,
To ransom Count Albert from Soldanrie's hand.
Small thought had Count Albert on fair Rosalie,
Small thought on his faith, or his knighthood, had he;
A heathenish damsel his light heart had won,
The Soldan's fair daughter of Mount Lebanon.